Ministry Advances: Work Retreat
by Witches-Britches
Summary: When the Ministry mandates that all Head of Departments go on a three day work retreat, Draco avoids participation until he discovers that Hermione is without a partner for the retreat challenge.
1. Chapter 1

. . . . . . . . . Preface . . . . . . . . .

The new generation that works for the Ministry of Magic has a different perspective than others before them.

Hermione is leading a new division of Investigations, under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement along side Harry and Ron.

Draco on the other hand, has to prove himself trustworthy after the war, but the Ministry begins to recognize that his talent for potions are becoming a valuable asset. Soon, the Ministry's department of Regulation and Control appoints him the Head of Potions Regulation.

Hermione and Ron chanced a romantic relationship but concluded that they were better off as friends.

* * *

_Chapter 1_

* * *

_A __**work retreat**_ _allows employees to regroup and rediscover their passion for work. When they return, their stress levels will be lower, meaning they will have the energy to work as hard as necessary, without sacrificing quality._

**. . . Flashback: Summer 1992 . . .**

It was a warm summer's day in Wiltshire when young Draco Malfoy put on his lucky broom-riding jersey. Upon his being sorted into Slytherin the previous year, his father had purchased him the shirt at Quality Quidditch Supplies. The garment was now among his favorites.

Reflecting on his first year at Hogwarts, Draco's fingertips grazed across the front of the jersey pocket, where a silky green patch displayed the Slytherin house seal. He was proud of his new house, and he had all summer to show it off. His first year at Hogwarts might not have gone as expected, but now that it was finally complete, Draco felt accomplished. With one last smirk at his reflection in the mirror, he left his bedroom in search of his broomstick.

Descending the grand staircase of Malfoy Manor, his merry stride came to a halt at the sound of his parents bickering again. Their voices sounded as if they were coming from the adjacent breakfast room below.

"Narcissa, please, new topic. This is tiresome," his father mumbled, right before adding, "Oh, I made the paper again. I'll have Dobby clip the article and keep it with the rest."

"Do _not_ change the subject-" Draco's mother began a predictable lecture, until she spotted Draco rounding the corner. "Oh hello, darling. Breakfast?"

Hesitantly, Draco approached the table where his parents were sitting for their regular morning meal. His father hummed his acknowledgement of his son's presence, but kept his nose in his newspaper.

Draco turned to his mother. "Actually, I was going to go flying for a bit, then eat later."

"If you must, but darling, please be safe and do not leave the grounds."

"Yes, mother."

Draco eagerly went to the old armory the next room over, which served as a broom closet. Some of the broomsticks were only for show, mounted and not to be touched; some were his father's, which he knew contained spells to keep him away. Wanting to test out all that he was allowed before the summer came to an end, he grabbed a broomstick resting low on the shelf. Pulling out his journal, where he had a meticulous broom-rating chart of his own making, as well as a mapping of where he had already flown, he only paused when he heard his parents speak his name.

"Lucius, I'm worried… I was thinking of having Draco get involved in more activities. I don't think he made many new friends at school last year." She paused before adding, "I wish he would stay away from _Crabbe and Goyle_, dreadful boys…"

She took in a breath to speak again, but his father chimed in before she could continue. "He's fine, he'll make friends eventually."

Draco stepped closer, only just edging the entrance so as not to be seen.

There came the crinkling of his father's newspaper. "What activities, exactly?"

"Well, the Parkinsons take swim lessons, and piano... and sometimes-"

There was more newspaper crinkling. "_Swim lessons_? Narcissa, witches and wizards have no need for such foolishness. Pray tell, in what situation would Draco need to swim? He has a wand now, and-"

His mother's silverware clinked on the plate, just gentle enough to be noticed. This was her telling windup, the threat before the feud. She often did what most high society witches did, such as the subtle clacking of silverware, just to gain her husband's attention. "It's not _just _for swimming, it's for socializing with other children... Lucius... are _you listening_?"

By now, Draco guessed that his father had gone back to reading, as he usually did whenever he decided a conversation was becoming dull or mundane. Though Draco could barely make out his father's mumbling, he was familiar with his automatic reply. "Yes, Narcissa, just because I'm not _staring _at you, does not mean I cannot _hear_ you..."

"Well, it would be nice for you to acknowledge it."

From around the corner, Draco rolled his eyes. This predictable bickering was the soundtrack of his life. He did not care to do extra activities with other children, unless it were to show off his flying skills.

Draco began to turn away, having concluded that his parents' conversation about him was over, until his father stated, "Draco is fine, stop making a fuss. It's that school you _insisted_ on sending him to- oh… I nearly forgot-" There was more crinkling of the newspaper, and some movement now. "Look what I discovered him trying to send out."

Draco strained to hear what was happening from around the corner, holding back the temptation to peek.

Impatiently, his father continued, "Go on, open it."

There came the sound of shuffling of some sort of paper, and his mother's voice appeared relieved. "So, he _does_ have a friend. _Hermione_. Oh, is this one of the Prewetts' nieces?"

Draco's stomach swooped, and he began to feel flushed. A hard thud against the table made him wince.

His father hissed, "No, Narcissa, worse! She's a _Muggle_!"

Draco nearly turned the corner to correct, 'Muggle-born!' but decided it would be best to go without any confrontations today. Truth be told, he was surprised he had not been punished already. He felt sick; maybe this is what they were about to discuss. How had his father found the letter? Blast that useless Dobby! Draco had guessed that a house elf would be more discreet than an owl, but why had the elf not sent it as instructed?

His mother replied in a calm voice, "Honestly, he's _just_ a boy. It's not as if he is planning to _marry her."_

There was a flick of the newspaper, and his father grumbled, "We should never have sent him there. I don't know why-"

His mother snapped, "You know why, Lucius, now drop it!"

His father shuffled the paper, croaking, "You coddle him too much-"

A chair screeched across the wood floor and his mother barked, "_He_ is our _only _son and if I wish to be nearer to him then _that_ is how it will be! Discussion over!"

Draco quickly pivoted, slamming his back against the wall to conceal himself from his mother's violent exit. This was followed by the sound of another screeching chair, and his father calling out sharply, "Dobby! Clean this up... and put that paper in my study with the others!"

**. . . Present Day: Summer 2005 . . .**

An inter-office memo zipped under Draco's door at the Ministry of Magic, and zoomed eagerly in front of his face. Sighing at the interruption, he reluctantly opened it and read the contents. His face pulled in disgust after reading it.

"What? Bloody hell, who is coming up with these things? A _work retreat_... this weekend?" Rolling his eyes, he crumpled up the memo and was about to toss it in the bin when there was a knock at the door. "Come in..."

Blaise opened the door and peeked in. "Hey, Draco… Oh, I see you got the memo..."

Draco glanced briefly at the wad of paper in his hand before tossing it at his visitor. "Yes, why are _you_ so chipper?"

"Are you kidding me?" Blaise's voice rose an octave in excitement as he stepped further into the room, his hands on his hips in disbelief. "Did you read where we're going? It's on a lake!"

Draco responded with an indelicate snort, returning to the other memos on his desk. "Blaise, it's a _work _retreat, it's not going to be all conkers and cauldron cakes."

Blaise shrugged him off. "Why do you always have to be so negative? Just roll with it."

"Why do we _need _a work retreat? What's the bloody point?"

Blaise stepped in, sliding his hands into his pockets. "It was Potter's idea. He thinks the heads of every department need to work on being more organized in case _another _dark wizard tries to take over-"

Draco tilted his head and gritted out, "Fucking Potter… thinks he _runs_ the Ministry..."

Blaise shrugged, turning back toward the door. "Right. That bloody prick who saved us all... Anyway, drinks tonight?"

Nodding at the reminder, Draco agreed, "Yeah, alright. Later."

**. . . Retreat Weekend . . .**

"Welcome, everyone! Thank you for joining us here at _Coven Cabins!_" announced the flamboyant camp director. He was wearing khaki shorts and a matching short-sleeved button-up, and was far too excited, as if he were entertaining young children. The assembled group before him appeared nonplussed.

Draco grumbled quietly to himself under a large pine tree. He had cast a disillusionment charm on himself so no one would notice that he had actually shown up to this dog-and-pony show. He hoped he could depart unnoticed once he decided it was so mundane that it would be worth the reprimand if he decided to skip out on it entirely.

It was a shame, because the location was serene and beautiful. It was surrounded by evergreens, the soft earth sprinkled with pine needles. The rich-smelling dirt slowly merged into sand as it neared the lake in the distance. Small wooden cabins were wedged between the tall trees, giving a notion of privacy between the other structures. Yet, all the heads of departments from the Ministry appeared bored, looking out of place now that they had exchanged their robes for cotton shirts, shorts, and sneakers. Draco had dressed similarly, as it had been recommended on the memo, and he felt absolutely exposed compared to his usual attire.

"Now, I know all of you have Apparated here from London, but from here on out, there will be _no wands_."

Everyone began to turn to each other, whispering in annoyance. Potter looked around, clearly frustrated at people's moaning. "Oy! We're here to learn about teamwork, you don't need _magic_ for that. Now please keep it down!"

Draco was just within hearing range of Blaise, who had his arms crossed and leaned in to whisper to Pansy, "Draco was right, he _does_ think he runs this place."

Draco grinned. He knew his friend's enthusiasm at the office had been unwarranted; he wondered if Blaise would ever admit it. Pansy sniggered at Blaise's comment, but ceased as soon as she made eye contact with Potter.

The retreat director smiled politely and continued, "Thank you, Harry. Please rest assured, your wands will be safe in your bunks... in your assigned cabins… no, I'm sorry there are no extension charms on them either."

Everyone moaned, collectively griping over the idea of staying in tight living quarters.

The retreat director hesitated, obviously trying to keep a happy disposition. "Okay, now during your stay over this beautiful three-day weekend, we'll be hosting a challenge. There will be riddles and obstacles. I'm sure you will all find that fun, yes?"

When there was no response from those assembled, the man cleared his throat. Even the trees appeared bored. Draco glanced back at his broom, which was leaning patiently against a tree, and imagined where he would go riding today. A second later, he swore that a small chipmunk was aware of his presence, as it paused in front of him and stood on its hind legs to sniff the air. He hoped the creatures of the woods would not give him away, and wondered if maybe he should leave soon. In the end, the animal made a wise choice, scurrying away into the depths of the wood. Draco nearly did the same until the obnoxious man made another announcement.

"Okay, for the first activity, what I'd like you all to do is find someone that you do not usually work with... someone outside your department, who you've met with only occasionally. You get the idea, please go ahead."

Draco huffed, this should be interesting, he thought, as he watched everyone skirting around hesitantly in search of a partner. Then, he took notice of Granger standing on her tiptoes, stretching to see who else was available. Once people shifted enough, he could finally see what she was wearing. She wore a loose fitting light purple t-shirt, and to his surprise, a pair of blue jean shorts. Draco nearly rolled his ankle on a pine cone as he stepped forward in an attempt to follow the length of her bare legs all the way down to the laces of her shoes. He quietly cursed the foliage, glad that no one saw the blunder. Trying to find her again, he grew irritated with the coworkers who interrupted his view, then he finally caught her nervously tampering with the lengths of her wavy curls. He nearly sniggered, as she was clearly taking this partner-choosing activity very seriously.

It was cringe-worthy to see her pass each coworker, as she checked to see if they were already paired up, only to find them shrugging at the sight of her lonely walk to find a partner. Draco took a wild guess that she had been this way in one of those muggle primary schools: last pick for any sport, and no one wanting to make eye contact with her while she radiated embarrassment upon rejection.

Draco glanced to the retreat director, then back at Granger as the man shouted, "Okay, everyone, have your partner?"

Granger hesitantly raised her hand to gain his attention.

The director began to make his way to her, in his poor attempted to be polite, he spoke in a whisper, but it was loud enough for all to hear, "Oh, you don't have a partner?"

Checking his clipboard, he began flipping pages to scan through the registered names.

"Well I'm sure there was an even amount of people invited, let's see..."

Glumly, Granger scanned her co-workers, who were impatiently awaiting instructions. There was a sudden realization written all over her face, and her body deflated.

Draco paced in front of the tree at the idea that she would react in such a way because _he_ was the one leaving her alone, partnerless. Was she disappointed that he was not there? Did she look forward to their bickering as much as he always had?

Draco deliberated. This could be his chance, the chance to work closely with Granger and not appear blatantly obvious that he actually had an interest in her. He could move past the barrier of their squabbling in meetings, and the low-key sexual tension between them. He could actually work side-by-side with her and show her that he was not as much of a prick as she set him out to be. He could convert Hermione Granger's point of view on him, and then eventually, maybe… he stopped his stream of consciousness, trying not to get too far ahead of himself.

He smoothed back his hair, which he had to do more often since he toned down the amount of product charms he used now. He would never admit that it was because Granger had once claimed he had an albino turtle shell on his head. It was a pathetic insult, but if Hermione Granger had something to say about your hair, you knew it was bad. At the time, Draco was so perturbed by her remark, that he had thrown another swot insult at her. He really needed new ones, but he struggled to find any more when it came to the clever witch. Likely, it was because he did not actually want to push her away, but he had a difficult time moving past their regular bickering.

Straightening out his shirt, he glanced down at his cargo shorts. He was curious what she would think of him... not that he regretted the decision. It was hot out, and they had been told they weren't allowed to use magic for a cooling charm. After giving himself a small pep talk, he swiftly honed in on his goals. Yes, this would have to appear smooth and unplanned.

As the director recounted his list, Draco grabbed his broom and removed his disillusionment charm. He began to walk up to the crowd of coworkers, approaching Blaise first. He had to make this appear organic, and as he was usually late to meetings anyway, it would be exactly the sort of thing everyone would expect.

Leaning in, he began to ask Blaise what was going on, when almost immediately, the frilly man's voice called over to him. The man was all too cheery for the morning hour, waving frantically for him to come over. "I knew my count was not off! See, now we're even. Please, sir, over here."

Everyone turned their heads, their eyes following Draco as he met the director. He glanced at Granger, who crossed her arms coolly.

The director stretched out one arm to pull her in, then the other to Draco. "Here, now you have a partner. Perfect!"

Draco's head perked up at the director, then swiveled toward Granger in faux alarm. As the director began to walk away, he muttered, "Wait, what?"

He glanced around, making sure to appear distraught and confused, when the director turned shortly. "Yes, our first activity is to pair up with someone, and there you have it. Okay, now..."

Granger's nose was flaring; she was clearly annoyed, barely acknowledging Draco. Honestly, she did not have to be so obvious about her disdain for him. A familiar pang in his gut rose up again at the idea that maybe Granger would never have any interest in him. Draco scanned the group of coworkers to confirm that they had bought into his act, but it did not seem to have phased them, as they were all waiting for the director's instructions.

Draco focused back on his new partner, nudging her slightly. "Granger, what'd I miss?"

She seethed through her teeth, "Shut it, Malfoy, and listen. Maybe if you weren't late..."

As the director spoke, he side-eyed them at their minor disruption. "Okay, where was I? Yes alright, so the person standing next to you will be your partner for the _whole_ weekend..."

There was a gasp from somewhere in the crowd, while others were clearly trying not to seem annoyed, so as not to offend their partner. After all, there were still working relationships to maintain.

Eyes growing wide, Draco's hand settled onto the end of his broomstick, gripping it tightly. He hoped he wasn't laying his act on too thick. Granger appeared not to notice as she only exhaled deeply and shifted her weight away from him.

Cluelessly, the director went on to give further instructions. "This weekend you and your partner will have several tasks to accomplish. Now there are some rules here: again, _no_ wands and _no_ trading partners. The tasks will be similar to a scavenger hunt. Solve the clues, complete the tasks, and whenever you find a new clue or object to obtain - _now listen closely _\- you must grab it _together_! If you do not, I repeat, if _you do not,_ it will _not_ count. This is team building here, work together!"

Low chatter from those assembled started up again as the director broke from his speech to flip through some pages on his clipboard.

Opening his mouth to speak, Draco turned to Granger but hesitated when she abruptly prompted, "What, Malfoy, something else you're annoyed about? Please spare me."

He clenched his jaw, about to fall back into his old habit of retaliation, when the director recalled, "Oh, yes, and _no_ books! We cannot have you looking up clues and cheating. Let me see, what else…?"

Draco immediately grinned and playfully nudged Hermione. "I reckon they wrote that one _just_ for you, Granger."

Her arms dropped to her sides and Draco followed her pained gaze over to Potter, who was mouthing an apology to her.

Moving on, the director fiddled with his watch and began to guide everyone where to go. "Please get settled into your cabins. Meet back out here in about thirty minutes and we shall begin!"

Everyone began to peel away, the witches heading toward their cabins and the wizards to theirs. Draco jogged over to Blaise, grumbling, "So, who's your partner?"

Blaise turned. "Late again, ay, mate? I got Weasley… Ron, not the worst choice. We sort of ran into each other and then stopped… but the _whole_ bloody weekend? I was hoping to sneak away with Pansy…" Blaise nudged Draco knowingly. "I see you got Granger."

"Yeah, she's thrilled."

"Ah, she'll warm up to you mate. Oy, if you _behave_, you might actually win."

Secretly he hoped Blaise's advice would pan out, but he could not appear too grateful. "Not if she kills me first..."

Blaise paused before entering their cabin and turned to watch the witches across the way. "One should be so lucky. Imagine... Granger in the wilderness… mmm..."

Draco winced at the crass implications before following Blaise's gaze, only to witness him silently flirting with another witch that was shyly smiling back at him.

Draco nudged him. "Can't you just concentrate on one witch at a time?"

Blaise retorted, "I have to make up for you, mate."

He shook his head at the blatant jab that he had not hooked up with anyone in awhile. Blaise was impossibly good at pushing his buttons. Draco was still kicking himself over his slip-up over two months ago when, under the influence of triple rounds of firewhiskey, he had hinted at his interest in Hermione. As Blaise had not brought the topic back up specifically since then, Draco had begun to hope his best friend had been too inebriated to remember.

As the wizards entered the cabin and Draco prepared to let go of his precious broom for the weekend after all, Blaised declared, "Don't worry mate, I'll leave Granger to you."

Draco paused, grateful that he was turned away from Blaise, as his face growing warm. He opted not to feed Blaise's jest, instead walking away to claim a bunk. At the very least, it was going to be an interesting weekend.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Once everyone settled their personal items into their less-than-comfortable bunks, they met back at the clearing in the woods to find the retreat director with a series of packets.

"Everyone here? Great! I am going to hand each team a packet." The khaki-heavy director lifted a packet of paper into the air for all to see. "This is your guide to accomplish every task. Though there are charms placed on each, this does not give you permission to cast your own."

There was a quiet grumbling, but Potter was prepared and had turned around to stare at everyone before they had time to mutiny.

The director continued on, "Now remember, grab your new findings _together_. Each object is charmed to recognize this. If you don't grab together, you are _out _of the game!"

The director stuck his thumb out behind him, and Draco thought that maybe it should go elsewhere. He glanced over to Blaise, and considered passing that crude comment along, but glanced down to Granger and doubted she would appreciate that kind of humor.

There was not a witch or wizard among them that matched the director's eager stance. Subtle huffs of dispassion and whispering between coworkers filled the air, until Potter turned around. Then, everyone grew silent; even the odd bird paused in their chirping. Most of those assembled flashed a false smile if they made eye contact with him.

Draco's attention was drawn away by the director approaching him and Granger with a packet. Both of them reached out to receive it, quickly exchanging a frigid glare. Neither one backed down, their arms out, determined to see who he would give the packet to first.

The director stopped short in front of them, looking like he had discovered lost treasure. "Oh, I see you two have already started. Brilliant!" He half-turned to everyone else behind him, his arms stretched out as if to glorify the two of them, "See, everyone? They are going to take the packet TO. GETH. ER! Great job, you two, you're going to make a great team!"

He plopped the packet right between both of their hands, throwing a toothy smile at Draco. Once the chipper director walked off in his odd-looking sandals, Draco heard a sniggering and scanned the area to see who it was. To no surprise, he found Blaise bent over laughing. Nearby, Ginny Weasley was giving Granger some sort of grin, so he peeked down at his reluctant partner to find her shaking her head and looking away into the woods.

Before he knew it, the packet was out of his hands and Granger was holding it tightly, a winner's gloat spread wide across her face. Draco exhaled and shoved his hands into his pockets. This was going to be a long weekend.

"Okay, does everyone have their packets? I'd like you to note that there is a meal schedule in there, and that all meals will take place in the main building over there." As he pointed, everyone's heads turned to a larger building closer to the entrance of the camp. "You will also find a map of Coven Cabins, with every building clearly labeled."

Draco leaned over to view the booklet Granger was furiously studying, but she turned away when she caught him peeking. Tapping his foot, he wished the director would just finish up already.

"Now remember: no wands, no sharing of information after hours in the bunks, and if you are caught cheating, or if you don't grab items _together,_ you are out! When you're out, you will be set up in a group for smaller activities, such as trust falls and the like. Now, you have three days to accomplish all of these tasks. The first team to accomplish them all, wins, but there will be other awards, so don't worry if you are not _the first_... I know exciting, right? Okay, our time begins _now_!"

Surprisingly, even though everyone had initially appeared annoyed, they all began to scatter in different directions. When Draco looked back at Granger, she was gone. After a quick scan of the area, he found her walking away quickly. "Oy, Granger, where are you going?"

Granger kept her pace, flipping through the packet. "I'm looking over the first task-"

"Okay well, can I see it, too?"

"Oh, do you actually want to take part?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Hardly..."

Given her short paces, Draco's longer strides easily caught him up to her. He grabbed her arm to get her attention. "Granger, stop!"

Hermione paused to glare at his hand on her arm, so he swiftly let go. Taking a step back, he raised his hands as if to show her that he was unarmed. Then he nodded to the packet, and she huffed dramatically before holding it out just enough for him to see. As he stepped closer to view the details, she adjusted her body as if he reeked of toad's breath.

"I won't bite, Granger, just trying to read. Don't get so excited..."

"I'm hardly-" She tilted her head as if to help herself calm down. "...Just _read_."

They both took a dramatically deep breath at the same time, then side-glanced one another at their synced reaction. Hermione was the first to review the instructions, forcing him to follow her lead.

_A dark wizard, bane of the land - reveal where he resides.  
Energy gives him power, a great possession he doth hide.  
Dark colleagues gather upon the countryside,  
If water were requested, the mensa would provide._

They both tilted their heads inward, bumping each other slightly. Granger leaned away awkwardly, while Draco tried to smooth over the accidental touch by focusing back on the riddle. "Okay, I think I know this one."

"What? Surely you don't know it _already,_ these are meant to last the whole weekend. It couldn't be _that _easy."

Draco scoffed, and pointed to the riddle. "Look, I think this _here_ could mean- Granger, are you listening?"

Hermione was squinting into the distance, where everyone else had started lining the path toward the lake. "Yes, Malfoy, just because I'm not _staring _at you does not mean I cannot _hear_ you..."

Draco mumbled to himself, "Would be nice for you to acknowledge it..."

Suddenly, his déjà vu kicked in and he stared at the ground to mentally sift it out before it faded. _Bloody hell, _he realized, _we sound like my parents bickering at the dinner table…_

"Granger, I got it, but really-"

"Malfoy, everyone is going to the lake over there, I bet there's something on the beach. It says 'countryside' and 'water'..."

"No, it's not the beach..."

"And _why_ is that?"

He stepped in front of her to get her attention. "Look, a dark wizard would not meet at the beach with his colleagues, this isn't some bloody cult of witches dancing in a circle..."

Granger raised one eyebrow and he suspected it was because he might have offended her. She did not argue, however, and he supposed that was something.

Brushing it off, he continued to explain, "See the 'countryside', as in, _on_ the side of the country, not the water-"

"Well, that could mean the beach..."

"Right, but look at this word, 'mensa'..."

"Yes, it's latin for 'table'. We need to find a table?"

"Well if water were 'requested'... at a table? And look, _energy_, like eating food?"

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "You think it's at the dining area? Why would that be part of the first task? I mean, people will be eating there soon and everyone would go-"

He shrugged. "I couldn't say, but I do know that when the Dark Lord resided in my house, we often convened at a table..."

Granger looked up at him quickly. He suspected that she had momentarily forgotten how close he had been to it all, given that nearly a decade had passed since. Not wanting her pity, he fixed his attention on a pair of their coworkers hurrying by them toward the beach, just to have anywhere to look but at her. Clenching his jaw for bringing it up, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"I believe you…" Draco glanced down at her hand touching him and then to her eyes, but she quickly deviated back to the packet. "Let's look at the meal schedule."

This snapped Draco out of the moment.

"Wait, why? Let's just go-" He waved his hand in the direction of the dining hall, but Hermione grabbed his arm to put it down and began looking around wildly.

"Don't point! Anyway, if people are meant to eat there regularly, the task wouldn't be on display. We'll have to find off hours…"

Draco bit his lip at her reprimand on his hand gesturing, though he rationalized that he could have been talking about anything. Ultimately, he was embarrassed for the slip-up. He had always thought he was a lot smoother than that, and to be schooled in the art of deception by Hermione Granger was a complete blow to his ego.

Granger flipped through the packet until she settled on a page that listed meal schedules. He turned to read it and found that sure enough, she had been right: _'Colleague meeting hour. Tables available before and after meals, please schedule at the front desk.'_

Granger looked up at Draco with wide eyes and they both whispered, "_Dark colleagues gather!"_

"Malfoy! You were-"

Draco inwardly beamed, unconsciously smirking. Hermione cut herself off as she looked at him, as if she had belatedly realized that a compliment to him would be far too nice from her. Either way, he caught it, and secretly enjoyed how impressed she was of him. He tried to hold back his automatic 'I told you so' expression, concluding that using a Pensieve to look back on this moment later would be far more mature than remarking on it now. Suddenly, this work retreat was not such a burden, not that he would ever admit that to Potter.

"Okay, Malfoy, don't get all arrogant about it." Hermione turned, and began to walk away, Draco following close behind.

"You thought I'd be useless, didn't you, Granger?"

She murmured under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear, "I never said that."

Draco picked up his speed to follow her. "But you thought it. You're _always_ thinking Granger, and-"

Hermione stopped so abruptly that Draco bumped into her. "Ug, Malfoy- I- I never thought you'd be _useless, _I just _assumed-" _She hugged the packet tightly, looking around as if she could not say this in front of other people. "I assumed that you wouldn't care to be here, and especially... to be paired with me."

Draco stood close, never stepping back after bumping into her, and waiting for her to admit something she was clearly stumbling over. Unlike her, he was good at concealing the depths of his mind. In fact, he had an extensive history of hiding away these thoughts of her. The problem was, he was unable to _accio_ them back to the surface for her to even notice. So Granger had a hard time swallowing her pride? That was not news to him, but she had also made it clear that she still held the same perspective of him as she had since Hogwarts.

He peered down at her. "Maybe it's about time you stopped assuming things about me."

She studied him for a moment, as if trying to interpret his meaning. After a quick glance up, she then turned, whipping her long, wavy curls against him. The dramatic gesture pulled at his senses. Her strands of hair left behind a citrusy scent, reminding him of the time he had attempted to peel an orange the Muggle way. He found it difficult, but he had been determined, and found it surprisingly rewarding when he was able to peel the whole thing without breaking the rind.

Draco eyed her walking away, and smoothed back his hair again. Not liking the distance between them, he moved to follow. Once he caught up, they approached the canteen together and opened the main doors to find numerous Coven Cabins workers setting up tables for lunch.

"It says we need to schedule with someone at the front desk, but no one is here."

"Just wait, Granger. Look, someone is coming this way..."

A young woman, likely hired summer help, slowly made her way to the hostess's stand. When they approached, she asked, "May I help you?"

Granger lowered her voice dramatically, gripping the wooden stand to lean in. "Yes, we'd like to schedule a _colleague meeting _between the serving hours."

"Oh yes, I _understand_..."

The hostess gave a short smile at Hermione, then made eye contact with Draco. Perking up, she smiled more fully and flirtatiously.

Granger turned quickly, as if to monitor his reaction. Draco only raised his eyebrows back at her, pretending not to notice the young woman gawking at him. Suspicious, Hermione turned back around, adjusting her position to block Draco from the hostess's stand.

The witch popped what he guessed was gum continuously as she talked. "Okay, you two are the first to schedule, so we have times between lunch and dinner today… after dinner tonight… and then there is one more after breakfast tomorrow-

Granger urgently interrupted, "After lunch today, please!"

The hostess raised her thinly plucked eyebrows and widened her eyes, though she kept them on the paper, probably finding Granger all too eager. "Oh… kay, I'll write you in. What name would you like to book it under?"

The hostess held her pen above the page, ready to fill in a name. When neither of them answered right away, she looked up at Draco. Granger shifted, then turned to him, crossing her arms and pinching her lips, sassily waiting for him to answer. He guessed she did not enjoy the hostess's not-so-subtle flirting with him, or the fact that the woman had looked to him for the answer.

Draco kept his stare on Granger, adjusting to mimic her arm-crossed stance. "Granger-Malfoy, please."

It was clear she had not been expecting that answer from the way her expression changed. The hostess tilted her head, pen beginning to scribble as she continued to smack the gum in her mouth. "Unusual name, er, how do you spell that?"

Draco coolly spelled out the letters and the witch nodded along, peeking up at the both of them afterward.

"Is that a hyphenated name, or are you two-?"

Granger looked away and Draco boldly stepped closer to her, draping his arm across her shoulders. "Yes, we're together."

He ignored Granger when she whipped her head up to look at him. The hostess suddenly seemed unamused by their company, and threw the ledger closed. "Okay, it's booked. Is there anything else?"

Granger promptly replied, "No, that's all, thank you."

She peeled his arm off of her and walked briskly out of the door. Draco smiled politely at the hostess, casually placed his hands back into his pockets, and strolled out of the building to follow.

"What was _that,_ Malfoy?"

"What? We're _partners,_ right?" When Granger sneered in reply, he defended, "Hey, she was getting the wrong idea. I don't want to be stalked all weekend. This is a _professional_ retreat, I'll have you know."

He grinned playfully, enjoying how worked-up she had become. It was too easy, and far too appealing.

Granger began to pace. "Oh right, because you're just so _regularly _stalked by women..."

Hands remaining in his pockets, he followed her, shrugging. "You never know, Granger..."

She stopped abruptly and he bumped into her again. "Look, can we just- I'll meet you back here after lunch. Do not say _anything_ to anyone. We can just eat and wait until everyone leaves."

"Fine, what are you going to do until then?"

"What? I don't know, go back and re-"

Draco pointed at her, tapping her nose. "Nope, you can't read. Sorry, Granger."

She swatted his hand away. "Well, I don't know…" She exhaled, glancing up at him as if to determine his interests. "We can take a look at the other tasks. I noticed some are half-filled, and there is one that's a puzzle..."

She glanced down at the packet as if to think, but Draco knew it would please her to continue. "Okay, let's do that."

Furrowing her eyebrows, she looked back up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, why not, don't you want to win?" He turned to face a different direction, gesturing over to the distance. "Let's go to the beach and watch everyone squirm while we figure out the puzzle piece."

She quietly nodded and turned to walk in that direction.

Draco, however, wanted to recall her little tantrum, so he placed his arm across her shoulders again, and added, "Partner."

As expected, she ducked away and sped up, but when she glanced back at him for a second, he caught her biting back a smile. Draco looked down to the ground, trying hold back his own.

Once he was able to collect himself, he followed her down the path. They made their way through the woods until the ground became softer and merged into the sandy beach. When they approached the opening of the beach, they noticed fewer people there than the crowd that initially had gone before.

Draco found her peeking up at him as if to acknowledge this, but she stepped forward before he could say anything. They stopped in the middle of the beach, and when she gave him an inquisitive look, he nodded and they sat down.

Draco shifted closer to her to see the puzzle better, wondering if his proximity made her uncomfortable. For a moment, he reflected on the things that bothered Granger, such as being interrupted when reading, the lazy casting of spells, or when someone did not do the appropriate research to validate their argument in department meetings. His little mental list of her idiosyncrasies was nearing the topic of how she organized her bookshelf chronologically rather than alphabetically, when he was interrupted by the approach of Blaise. Looking up, he grimaced at his friend's obnoxious smile over observing him with Granger. Draco waved at him to leave, but instead Blaise began to make crude sexual gestures.

Draco gritted his teeth and widened his eyes at his friend's immaturity. Granger's concentration on the puzzle seemed to break when she spotted him. "Oh, hi, Blaise!"

"Hey, Hermione, the beach suits you! Getting anywhere with this knob-head?"

Draco shook his head, his attention zipping back to her the moment she replied, as if to be sure that what she answered had really come out of her mouth. "Actually, I think I got lucky getting stuck with him. He's not all bad."

Draco's heart thumped when she brushed her hand over his knee for a split-second. He looked back up at Blaise, attempting to play it cool, but it was clearly not fooling his friend.

"If you say so, Hermione, but if he gets out of line…" There was a shout across the beach and their heads all turned toward the direction it had come from. "Right, I need to catch up with Weasley. I think he has an idea of where to go next."

"Alright, Blaise, good luck!" Hermione called after him.

Draco peered over to her curiously, wondering what she was thinking as he watched her cheeks pinken.

"Stop staring, Malfoy..." She nudged him gently. "Maybe _I_ don't want men to constantly stalk _me_ all weekend either. Besides, we need to concentrate."

Draco adjusted his position, reflecting on how she considered Blaise one of those men. "Oh, _Blaise_ distracts you, does he?"

She bit her lip, rolling her eyes. "The only one distracting me right now is _you_, now let's figure this out."

Draco's heart began to race at the idea of what she could have meant, mixed with a hint of jealousy at the notion that she had ever considered Blaise. He sulked slightly, recalling that _everyone_ considered Blaise.

An hour later, they nearly had the puzzle figured out until they recalled there was a lunch before their scheduled appointment.

Standing, Draco reached down to help her up.

"Thanks..."

He took a second to absorb the feeling of holding her hand, until she released it to carry on back into the woods. By the time they walked into the dining hall, the canteen was busy with chatter. Someone called over to them; it was Ginny Weasley. Granger made a move to join her, but hesitated, her eyes flickering back to him.

"It's okay, Granger, go sit with your friends..."

Draco looked around, not finding Blaise, and feeling Granger's stare on him.

"Will you sit with me, I mean- us, will you sit over there with us?"

Draco looked down at her, fully aware it was some sort of pity invite, but the rush of her inviting him at all secretly elated him. Staring at the table where Ginny Weasley sat, he saw that she only had Potter next to her, so he figured it wouldn't be too painful to make small talk. "Sure."

He followed her to the queue where everyone was handed their fare. As he stared at the food, he noted that there weren't too many options. It appeared to be American cuisine, such as hamburgers and chips. He snidely wondered if this way of eating had anything to do with Potter's Muggle upbringing, but he bit his lip and followed Granger as if he had done it all before. He could not help a small smile when she looked back at him as if to be sure he was still on board with joining them.

As they approached the table, each holding their tray of food, Draco glanced down, curious where Potter had obtained the small cup of green slime that jiggled on his spoon as he took a bite. Instead of asking, he casually mumbled, "Potter…"

"Malfoy…"

Ginny, who had a small cup of a similar red slime, looked at them both and scoffed, "Anyway… how's it going with you two?"

Granger nearly opened her mouth, but Potter chimed, "Oy, you don't want to be disqualified…"

Everyone glanced up at Potter, but he only shrugged, so Ginny went back to fumbling with her hamburger. "Malfoy, can you pass the ketchup?"

At first, Draco questioned why she had not simply cast an _accio_ for the item, until he remembered they were not supposed to use magic. Then he glanced over to the side of him where a series of condiments sat, and tried to remember which one was ketchup, as he rarely used it before. As he eyed the name on the red bottle, he had to stand up slightly to reach it, stretching over the empty side of the table. Once he had sat back down and handed the bottle to Ginny, he gently bumped Hermione's leg.

When he peeked over at her for the accidental touch, she adjusted herself awkwardly, never looking over at him. So out of jest, he did it again.

She stopped chewing her food and froze. Ginny queried, "You okay, Hermione?"

Hermione chewed quickly and swallowed her food. "Oh, er, yeah, I'm fine. I was just _thinking_, you know how I am..."

Draco grinned to himself, this time keeping his leg against hers, just to see how flushed her cheeks would become.

Potter chimed, "Hermione, don't forget to put on some sun lotion, looks like you've already gone a bit pink. Maybe I should have the director make an announcement…"

Draco nearly choked on his chips, causing Hermione to push his leg away.

Ginny shook her head. "Harry, she's a grown witch…"

Draco's heart raced when the warmth of her thigh settled back next to his. _Merlin's beard, she actually likes this… _It was one thing to rile her up and make her blush, but it was an entirely different thing for her to do it back.

"Actually, maybe Harry's right. Malfoy, your cheeks are quite burnt, too, I think."

This time, Hermione nearly gagged on her drink as Ginny rambled on about the British not being used to such great weather.

They were saved from the topic when the bell rang to signal that lunch was ending. Draco looked over at Granger and found her eyes already on him. He looked up quickly to see if the other two had noticed, but the Weaslette was fussing over Potter's hair again.

Draco almost abandoned his tray at their table until he realized everyone else was taking it upon themselves to toss their leftovers into the rubbish bin. He had forgotten there were no house elves here.

"Good luck!" Granger called after her departing friends. "See you back at the cabin, Ginny!"

Draco casually followed her from the hall under the pretense of exiting the canteen as if to go on with their task, so that no one would know they were just going to walk back in. They lingered around the front doors, making sure that everyone had actually left the hall before re-entering. He stuck his hands in his pockets and was using his shoe to scrape away sand from a wooden step. Meanwhile, he could hear Granger's impatience in the way she was drumming on their task packet with the tips of her fingers.

As soon as they were sure that the last of the pairs had exited, they went back into the canteen. After looking around the empty space, they found that only one table had an envelope resting on it. It was labeled _'Granger-Malfoy'._

They both looked at each other, then seized it. Realizing, Draco let go. "Take it, Granger."

"No, you can-"

Then she stopped, and Draco looked around as if they had been discovered. "What?"

"Remember, we actually _do_ need to grab it… _together_."

"Right…"

She reached out her hand, waiting for his, and he stepped closer to her. Together, they picked up the envelope from the surface of the table. As soon as it was in their fingertips, it slipped out and up from their grip, and the envelope began to hover in the air directly in front of them. Then, the seal broke away and used the opening as a mouth, similar to the way a howler did: "Congratulations, you have completed the first task. Place this envelope in your packet to continue."

The envelope closed again and slowly fluttered back onto the table. Draco hid his smile at witnessing Granger beam with excitement as she opened the packet and found a pocket that fit the envelope perfectly. Once she placed it in, a previously empty page next to it filled with words, revealing the next riddle.

Clearly meaning business, Granger got to work, settling down at the table and tying her hair up high. Draco sat beside her to read it, though he was more than slightly distracted by her newly exposed neck. When she caught him looking, he swallowed hard and forced his eyes back onto the riddle.

Clearing her throat, Granger read it aloud:

_Together 1, 2, 3 and a clue at the end will be:  
1\. They can carry death and the talent is in their name.  
2\. First word to confirm a finished military transmission.  
3\. I can desecrate the land, or float across the skies,  
upon a mirror reflection, I may even steal your eyes._

"So, these look to be three separate riddles to add up to one clue."

"Thanks, Granger..."

"You're welcome, Malfoy."

He nudged her lightly. "Right, number three is obvious..."

She nodded, and at once they both whispered, "Water."

Uncomfortably, they fidgeted in their seats. Granger reached for something within the bun of her hair.

"Granger, has that pen been in your hair the whole time?" His mouth fell open in awe, and he examined her curls as if he might find something else hidden in there.

Slightly offended, she huffed, "Yes, Malfoy, it was next to my hair tie- why is that so- you're going to catch flies with that mouth-"

Draco paused. "What did you just say?"

She sighed. "It's a Muggle phrase. When someone leaves their mouth open-"

"No- I mean, the flies! I think that's riddle number one!"

"What?" Granger looked to the riddle, speaking it out loud again. "_They can carry death and the talent is in their name."_

"Flies? Carry… yes! They do, or _did._ Many Muggles have died from cholera, which was likely spread by flies."

Granger bounced in her seat, teasing, "Didn't know you knew anything of Muggle history, Malfoy…"

"Plagues and death… it's fascinating. Anyway, it was really due to that crazy hair of yours-"

Granger nudged him, grumbling more playfully this time, "Shut up, Malfoy..."

This time, something in the tone of her voice sent his heart fluttering.

Granger interrupted his wandering thoughts, "Wow, we're doing well. I wonder if anyone else is this far?"

Draco turned to look out the window of the canteen, spotting a few people filtering in and out of the trees in search of something. It made him wonder if they were completely daft, or if everyone had different riddles.

"Let's just figure out what number two is. What is the '_first word to confirm a finished military transmission_'?"

Granger sat up. "I know this one for sure. I just need to think back... I used to play with walkie talkies and-" She must have noticed Draco's confusion, because she tried to explain, "It's a Muggle communication device where one person has to speak at a time. Yes, I know how that sounds, but when someone acknowledges that they are done with their turn, they say..."

Draco had his eyebrows raised, waiting for her to fill in the blank.

Granger looked around, so Draco did the same, not knowing why. "Okay, Malfoy, don't make fun of me-"

"Not likely… but go on."

"Right, I know, but- I'm going to do something weird. It's right on the tip of my tongue... so I'm going to mimic the noises."

"What?" Draco looked around again to check if any of the canteen workers would be witness to whatever she was going to do.

"Should we go back outside?"

She sniggered. "No, it's nothing _that_ strange… Okay, here goes..." Draco watched her closely, observing as she made some kind of scratchy noise from the back of her throat. "That's the empty transmission noise, okay? Shut up, I'm getting there..."

Draco sat back with his arms crossed. He did not think it was worth it to point out that he had not actually said anything.

In an automated-sounding voice, she continued, "This is Granger at the control tower, everything seems clear, do you copy? Over and out."

Apparently that was it, because Granger began to bounce in her chair.

Draco leaned forward to watch her scribble something down. "So it's '_do you copy'_?"

"No, it's 'over'. A finished transmission. That other part I just need to say out loud to, you know, get to that part."

Draco scoffed, "No surprise you were in a control tower..."

Granger only shook her head, and it actually disappointed him that she did not nudge him for his jest.

All three parts of the riddle now complete, they both stared at the paper with the filled in answers: _flies over water. _Tilting her head at the sentence, Granger queried, "Flies over water? Like bugs on the water?"

Draco shook his head. When he sat back to think, he stared out the window past the trees and caught the sun glittering across the lake in the distance. "Granger, I think-"

He stood up mid-sentence, and began to walk outside, his eyes fixed on the lake in the distance.

Following after him, she queried, "What? Do you see something?"

Draco continued walking, certain he had seen something strange out across the lake. _No... _

Granger stood next to him, looking out as well. "What is that? Or _those,_ rather?"

"I don't know, it's hard to see..."

"Something out there is hovering over the water... _flying_ over the water!"

"Are we supposed to swim out there?" Draco hesitated, assessing where the sun hung in the sky. It was mid-afternoon now, and he did not recall seeing the floating objects that morning.

Granger shrugged. "We could swim out there, but we should do it before evening for sure…"

Draco felt uneasy. _Swim_? He looked around as they approached to get a closer look, not finding anyone to be on the beach now.

"You know, Granger, it looks far and the sun will start to set sooner than we might think…" He could hear himself stumbling and making excuses, and he knew he needed to tone it down so he was not so obvious. "We do have the whole weekend, I doubt anyone is as far as us…"

He felt her stare on him. "Malfoy…"

"You know, Granger, I really didn't eat much. Maybe we should head back to the canteen for dinner first…"

"Yes," she agreed slowly, eyeing him. "I suppose we could do that. After all, on the schedule between meals, there were only two spots. Technically, that pair would have the same amount of time as us, unless they chose to swim at night."

"Right, that's settled then. See you later?"

"Oh, okay, so do you want to meet and then figure out the next part?" She began to flip through the packet, but Draco needed a moment to think. As smoothly as he could, he simply agreed and began to walk off toward the cabins.

He heard her calling after him hesitantly, "Okay, Malfoy… see you then…"

Draco bit his lip as he stepped into the cabin, thankful that it was empty. Briefly forgetting which bunk was his, he scanned the stacks of beds until his eye caught his broom sticking out from one. He exhaled and made his way toward the top bunk.

Before climbing up, he rested his head against the topside of the bed. A moment later, he kicked whoever's bag was next to his foot. _Bugger! _

It was the one thing that would make him look like a complete pansy-arse: _swimming_. He had to find a way out of this. Maybe Granger would be fine swimming alone? He scrunched his nose, tilting his head against the wood paneling of the top bunk. _Bollocks!_ Of course that wouldn't work; they had to do things _together_.

Finally climbing up into his bed, he resolved on taking a short nap to clear his head. Lying beside his broom, he tapped his foot against the pegs. He would rather go flying to clear his mind, but he suspected that leaving the retreat would be against precious Potter's rules.

He soon dozed off, a small hint of an idea growing smaller as he faded into a deep sleep...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

The next morning, Draco anxiously waited in the canteen for Hermione. His small nap had turned into a deep sleep, and he had not woken until later in the night. He had also been unable to use magic or sneak into the witches' bunks to explain himself. Now, his eyes scanned his coworkers getting their breakfast, trying to see where she might be. He hoped he hadn't ticked her off, or given the impression he was dismissive of the whole challenge.

Suddenly, she appeared right in front of him. He looked down at her, trying to gauge if she was irritated. Her only tell was the whitening of her knuckles as she gripped the breakfast tray more tightly than was needed. She only shook her head disappointedly and turned to walk away from him.

"Granger, let me explain…"

But she continued walking toward a table, ignoring him. He kept pace with her, preparing to explain himself. With his reputation for being late, along with his usual indifference to things at work, he knew she suspected him of bailing on her.

When she sat down, it was in a single opening at the long tables, where there was no room for him. Standing awkwardly amongst his sitting coworkers, he grew frustrated that she was going to make this all the harder on him. He gritted his teeth so as not to make more of a spectacle of himself. "Granger… I fell asleep."

There came a clank of her cup against the table as she set it down forcefully, and she swiftly turned toward him. "Oh, so I am that boring to you, am I?"

She was loud enough for most people to pause and peek up to look for his reaction. Embarrassed, he ducked his head. "That's not… look, I have an idea…"

Hermione turned back around. "Just forget it, Malfoy..."

Draco took a step back, staring at the back of her head, then glanced around at everyone murmuring to each other. When he saw Potter snickering to Ginny, his temper began to unfurl, and he loudly blurted, "No."

Everyone now began to glance at Hermione for a reaction. She only tilted her head.

Just to make it more clear to her, he continued sternly, "No, Granger, we're not done."

After what felt like the longest few seconds of his life, while his colleagues did a poor job of acting ignorant to their confrontation, Granger finally stood and faced him. He quickly scanned her, seeing her arms crossed tightly, then looked up to find her eyes peering at him for answers. "_Go on_, Malfoy."

Draco wanted to pull her aside, away from everyone. His gaze caught the retreat director at another table; he seemed to be taking notes, then looking up and nodding for him to continue. Bloody hell, the man was interpreting this as some sort of therapy!

Draco shifted, his nose flaring as he tried to maintain a professional front. Looking back at Hermione, he knew this was not just about the retreat. After yesterday, he now knew that this chemistry between them was not all in his mind. At this point, he simply wanted to please her, even if it meant continuing on this ridiculous retreat challenge. He urgently tried to read her, before he could lose her trust completely. Was she irritated that he had bailed on her personally, or was she really just competitive? He knew he had to make the situation clear, but he hardly wanted to do that in front of everyone.

Words began to leak out of his mouth in a mumble, and he hoped it would be enough to at least get her to come with him so he could explain himself more fully. "I didn't bail on you, Granger. I want to be your partner… I want to…"

A voice came from another table belonging to the damned retreat director. "Can you speak up?"

Any one who had previously been on the periphery of this confrontation was most definitely alert to it now. Everyone turned to see him, nodding their heads slightly in agreement, then back to Draco. Hermione's eyes were closed in embarrassment.

Draco exhaled, trying to hold back any fury lest he be judged for that as well. "Granger. I want to be your partner." Then he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Look, I have an idea, I think we can win…"

The counselor cleared his throat to make a point again for him to speak up.

Glaring in his direction, Draco snapped, "It's about the game. You said not to speak of it to others. Right?" Draco turned to Harry then. "Right, Potter? That's a rule _you_ approved… yeah?" Raising his hands, Draco spoke even louder now, for effect. "I mean, we're all here on our weekend thanks to him… All I'm trying to do is be a _good coworker_, play the game..."

Hermione immediately grabbed Draco and pulled him aside as he had hoped she would. He was surprised it had taken her so long. Loud chatter arose as they walked away, and he smiled as she tugged tightly on his arm to pull him out of the canteen.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?"

"How else am I supposed to prove to you that I'm… committed?"

Hermione placed her hands on her hips. "How else am I supposed to react when my partner begins to act strange, leaves, and then does not meet up-?"

"I told you, I fell asleep. No, not because you're boring. Can we just get back to the game? I have an idea."

She stood there for a few seconds and only half-smiled at a passing coworker who had walked out of the canteen, to show them everything was fine.

"Okay, Malfoy… but if you do that again…"

"Granger, it's not you."

Hermione glanced distantly into the woods and then back up at him. He knew he had to make it extra clear, in case this really was the source of her irritation. When she exhaled and her body relaxed, he knew he could continue.

He glimpsed at the doors behind them to check that no one else was about to leave the canteen, and tried to guide her to step away. "I have an idea for getting out onto the water…"

Hermione frowned. "You mean other than swimming?"

Just hearing the word made his heart sink as he guided her to the men's bunks. Gesturing toward the cabins, he explained, "My broom."

Hermione stopped abruptly to face him. "No, that's cheating. It says no wands… I've read the rules twice-" Draco grinned as he watched the realization dawn on her face. "It may not say anything about _brooms, _but isn't that basically magic? I think the point is _no_ magic. And also… I hate flying."

"Granger, there is nowhere that says _no magic_-"

"Yes, but you missed it, because you were late. Harry stood in front of everyone and said we don't need- he said... we don't _need _it." Hermione turned, staring at the ground, then back up to Draco. "He never said it wasn't _allowed_!"

Draco nodded, glad she had made another point for his case, and mostly relieved she was not so aggravated with him anymore.

"Yes, but Malfoy the point is that we _shouldn't_ use it."

Draco knew he was so close to convincing her. "Come on, Granger, is this because you think we'll break a rule that is _not_ written anywhere? Or because of _your_ fear of flying?"

"Both!"

Draco sighed. "Look the point is to... is to… " He wanted to say it in so many different ways, but could not find the courage, so instead he worded it as professionally as he could muster. "The point is… teamwork."

Hermione began to open her mouth, but Draco finished her thought for her.

"Right, yes, and catering to Potter's obsession, make sure we can handle another rise of a Dark Lord…" Worn out with discussion of such things, he sulked, ready to give in to the idea that he and Granger would never get to the next clue if they were to do this the honest way and swim, as he knew he could not swim with her.

Their conversation appeared to be over, as breakfast had ended and people were beginning to walk by them now. When Draco turned to look down at his partner, he found she had already walked off.

"Granger, where are you going?"

"I just want to see how far it is again..."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he bitterly followed her, knowing he was going to have to he honest with her about his inability and therefore, likely filling her with more disappointing thoughts of him.

As they walked out onto the beach, they paused to see two figures climbing into a rowboat from afar and setting off across the water.

Draco squinted at the pair. "Is that Potter and… Pansy?"

"Yes! They're partners in the challenge. Where did they get that boat? That wasn't there last night, was it?"

"Are there more?"

Hermione shook her head, and for a moment they stood there, stunned as the boat grew smaller in the distance, still a long way from the objects hovering above the water in the center of the lake.

"Draco Malfoy, go get your broom."

Draco looked at her, watching her stare out across the water with growing determination in her eyes. He nearly said something, but instead turned to go fetch his broom. When he returned, she seemed more than ready, but she hesitated before mounting behind him.

"Have you ever taken another witch on your broom before?" Then she shook her head, correcting, "I mean, anyone. Have you taken another passenger before?"

Draco did his best not to smile at the idea that Hermione Granger might have a hint of jealousy pertaining to him and his love life. It was a legitimate question though; one had to have a certain type of experience to balance more than one person, and it also depended on the make of the broom. Luckily, he had always fancied top-of-the-line products and was more than able to take on a passenger if the moment called for it.

"It'll be fine, get on. Tick tock, can't allow Potter to take another win."

They both looked out over the lake again, and a moment later, he felt Granger's body press against his back. She fumbled with something, likely the packet of information pertaining to the challenge, before softy placing her hands on his shoulders. A second later, she appeared to change her mind and wrapped them around his chest. When he lifted off, he heard her make a faint yelping noise, her hands clutching around him, and he smiled.

"Please, Malfoy, don't drop us… and-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the broom kicked up and forward. They soared past the soft waves lapping at the sand and further out over the water. Soon, they were passing over the rowboat, somehow escaping both Pansy's and Potter's notice, as the two were apparently looking for something. Draco hoped that they had lost their oar, or better yet, forgot their packet. Speeding up to insure they were ahead, he created a large distance between them and their competitors.

There was a tighter squeeze on his waist and then he saw Hermione's hand point past him to the flying objects above the water as she shouted, "They're flying keys!"

Draco swore the way she yelled it implied she had seen something like them before, but he could really only focus on not flying into them. Slowing down, he circled the bundle of keys fluttering with tiny wings above the water.

When they hovered to a stop in the air, it was easier to hear her. "There are six…"

"Granger, look-"

Below them, Draco saw six square objects hovering just above the water. They appeared to be briefcases of different colors.

Before he could come to his conclusion, she spoke exactly what he was thinking: "The wings on the keys... they have colors, too. So we match them, but which do we choose?"

As he shifted the broom to a different angle, Draco heard her made a slight squeaking noise, which unconsciously caused him to lay one hand over hers. To his surprise, she laced her fingers through his immediately. Though his heart was racing, he was determined not to lose control of his broomstick.

"Granger, you know what color I'd choose. Why don't _you_ pick?"

"I don't care, just take the green one."

Tilting his head at her answer, he shifted the broom lower. As they neared them, some of the keys began to flutter away as if scared. Unlatching one of her hands from his waist, she said, "Remember: together…"

He nodded and leaned the broom slowly so as not to frighten the flapping key, and they both reached out to grab it.

"One... two… three..."

They both touched the key at once, and from below they heard something dunk into the water before the lake spit it back up. It was the green suitcase, now bobbing on the small waves of the lake's surface.

Draco gripped the key tightly, feeling its anxious little wings quivering in his palm. Deciding his efforts were best used to grip the broom instead, he handed it to Granger to keep track of.

Once again she spoke his thoughts. "Why did it fall back into the water? Was it the wrong choice?"

Slowly, Draco shook his head. "Nah, they just want us to work for it, I think." He moved the broom lower, just enough so that their feet might touch the water. "I think we need to take it with us… this will be tricky."

He thought about how to maneuver his broom so that they would not tilt and fall in, while both having to grab it at once.

Hermione nodded. "I think we need to go a little lower…"

Draco was afraid of that, but agreed, so he hovered the broom lower until their shoes began to fill with lake water. Then they both leaned, counting down again to grab the briefcase. Their touch created another glow around it before it faded and remained in the water.

Draco stared at it. "I think that's all we had to do... I'm going to grab it."

Hermione nodded and let go of his hand so he could reach for it, but when he leaned forward, his hand slipped and he lost his balance. In his fumble, the broom tilted and he fell into the water.

Draco flailed about, his hands hitting the hard surface of the briefcase but his fingers slipped, never gaining a worthy grip. Unable to find any control over the water that was swallowing him, he panicked. In the depths of the cold lake, he swung his arms and kicked his feet, but the light still grew darker as he sank. Draco felt his heart thumping quick and heavy, pushing his muscles past their straining point. All his attempts to wield the water grew hopeless. His frantic mind tried to think of wandless spells, but he could not seem to register a full thought as the remaining oxygen he had left puffed out into bubbles, abandoning him in his time of need. He had to fight the strong sensation to take in a breath, and that's when he began to see red and black splotches dance in front of him.

This is where he nearly gave in, submitting to the lake, exhausted and light-headed, he could only make out the sunlight beaming past him from above. Draco was convinced this was the last sight his eyes would witness on this earth. Now he was simply floating, his energy depleted, and the light faded into darkness.

Suddenly, he felt a cold rush of air on his face and he began to cough uncontrollably, exchanging the water in his lungs for precious air. Someone was gripping his chest and tugging him across the surface of the water.

"Draco, are you-? Oh good, you're breathing..."

But Draco could not respond, focused as he was on trying to avoid getting more water in his mouth as he was dragged along the waves of the surface. Coming into a slightly more conscious state, he realized he was still in the lake and began to flail his arms, as if it had helped the first time.

"Draco, it's okay, I have you. Relax…"

It took him a moment to recognize Granger's voice.

"Draco, grab the briefcase and lean over it…"

He awkwardly turned to grip it as tight as he could, and was finally able to see her face. She seemed to effortlessly float in the water, and he guessed she was using magic. He remembered his broom and looked up to find that it was still hovering just over them.

Following his gaze, Granger looked up at it too. "Do you think you can reach for it?"

He looked back at her, nodding and not knowing what else to say. She knew now. She knew his weakness, but for the moment, she did not appear to have any sort of reaction.

With a small push off of the briefcase, he grunted with effort as he reached for his broom, pulling himself up and managing to wrap a leg around, just able to mount it. Steadying himself, he coughed to clear his throat of more lake water. Then, to his surprise, Granger grabbed the green briefcase and handed it to him. He took it, at a loss for how he could help her up now that his hands were full.

"Hold it steady now, I'm going to…" The broom bucked slightly as she managed to climb on it behind him. After righting herself, she took the briefcase. "Do you think you can manage to fly us back now?"

_There._ He heard the bitter tone in her voice. _Fuck. _Draco was ashamed, but nodded. The spike of adrenaline from the trama challenged his shaky arms, hoping she did not notice. For a second, he stared off into the distance, trying to collect his nerves. He chastised himself to focus. The least he could do now was to fly them to safety.

"Malfoy… Go."

Slowly, he turned the broom around and noticed Pansy and Potter were about to approach with the rowboat. He did not even want to see the looks on their faces, which would likely be shocked that they had chosen to use a broom for the challenge. Draco had almost died... would anyone know? Would Granger tell everyone?

When they finally reached the beach again, he lowered the broom and she quickly dismounted. Draco slowly got off, the dry sand becoming darker below him as droplets of water poured off his soaked clothing. A second later, there was a _thump_ as she threw down the briefcase, and he looked up at her, only now registering her matted hair and and how her clothes were clinging to her body.

"So that's why we had to use a broom?" Draco lowered his head, as she continued, "Malfoy, did it ever occur to you that I hate flying as much as… I mean, you can't even swim?"

She was shaking, possibly because of her damp clothes, but seemingly also from anger. They often bickered at the workplace, but this was different. Now, he could only watch her pace, and turn back to snap at him.

"_Just _when I thought we could... but no! You- you're impossible!"

He looked up at her now, wishing she did not look so beautiful when her eyes were full of regret. Her irises were dark and rich like hickory, the sun highlighting the freckles along the bridge of her nose, and the water droplets glistening on the tips of her eyelashes.

He truly wished he had something to say to Hermione Granger when she revealed that he actually had a chance with her. Unfortunately, it was tangled up with her resolve to give up on him.

Without warning, he felt her palms shove against his chest and he had to balance himself against falling backward into the sand. "Say something! You always have something to say!"

His mind was blank. A light breeze cooled his damp clothes which caused goosebumps on his skin and all he wanted to do was go change and think this all over. He had no more excuses; he was a selfish prat and she did not deserve it.

Gripping his broom, he took a step to walk past her, in complete despair. For the first time, he had nothing to say.

She, however, was clearly not relenting, as she stepped in front of him. "No, Malfoy, we're not done."

She was closer now, and Draco swallowed hard. He realized he had not thanked her for saving him. "What you did back there, Granger…"

He thought of the list of words he could use that would be far more descriptive to communicate his gratitude such as, 'you saved my life, I love you', or 'you're the most amazing witch I have ever met, I love you,' or 'please forgive me, give me another chance, I can be better, I love you.'

Instead, all that came out was a lousy, "Thanks."

As he moved to walk back, he noticed more coworkers showing up at the beach. To avoid them, he swiftly pivoted to walk further down the waterfront. He needed to be alone, and as he stepped away, he angrily chucked off his heavy shoes and socks. Resentfully, he dropped his broom into the sand and kept on walking. It was only after a few minutes that he noticed someone following him, so he glanced back.

It was Granger, and she too had taken off her shoes. In confusion, he paused. "What, do you want an apology? Need to be thorough, don't you, Granger?"

"It's not over, Malfoy. We're still in this…"

Draco exhaled, his head falling back. "Oh right, the challenge. Well, I'm sorry I've failed you…" He turned to keep walking, the Coven Cabins' beachfront landmarks growing nearer.

"Malfoy, you owe me! Let's finish this…"

Draco paused again. "Granger, when will the day come when I will not _owe_ you?"

Taken aback, she looked away to think, mumbling under her breath, "That's not what I meant-"

Draco stepped toward her, leaning in. "So what did you mean?"

"I mean we started this game, so… let's finish…"

Draco stepped back, scoffing, "I didn't do it for the game, Granger…"

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't sure what she would think of that, and also wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. He turned to walk away again, convinced that it was just as well. It was practically inevitable that he would be rejected by her.

To his surprise, he heard her call back to him, her voice raised as it competed with the lapping waves of the lake. "I'm not angry that you were late… both times... or that you didn't tell me you couldn't swim…"

Draco paused, still facing away from her and straining to hear what else she had to say.

"I'm not angry for our past, or over how you tease me all the time…"

He shifted now, his head tilting at the feel of her touch on the back of his arm.

"I'm not angry that you bicker with me in meetings, or that you look away when I catch you staring at me from across the room…"

Draco closed his eyes, realizing he was not as sly as he had always imagined.

Her fingers wrapped around his arm, guiding him to turn and face her. "I'm angry that it took _this long_ for you to do anything about it... and now, you're giving up."

Draco kept his eyes on hers, trying desperately not to glance down to her clothes clinging to her body, leaving little to the imagination. Defensively, he replied, "I'm not giving up, I'm just… accepting defeat."

"That's rubbish, Malfoy. I'll never kiss you with a line like that."

Draco was awestruck, but the riposte put a small smile on his face and she stood there staring expectantly at him. He glanced down to think, but the idea of kissing her was filling his mind, so that any other thoughts became difficult. She actually forgave him for all his nonsense? Did she really want this? She was possibly the only one that would ever confront him this way, and affect him so easily.

"I've never flown with a witch before," he told her. "I never wanted to, until today."

That was apparently good enough, because she placed her hands over his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. The short peck on her lips grew longer and he pulled her hips against him. Wind softly blew around them and he did not feel the chill, only the press of her tongue onto his. He had been imagining this for so long, and he wanted more.

To his disappointment, she broke their kiss, she whispered, "Let's go… we have more to do…"

As she tugged at his arm to follow her, he frowned. "Wait, was this all to get me to finish the challenge, or-?"

She tugged his arm harder, grinning. "Both."

Draco smiled, and as he allowed her to guide him back up the beach, he wondered, _Why doesn't Potter have these work retreats more often?_

* * *

Author Notes:

All thanks goes to the fabulous, and a true alpha/beta hero; HeartOfAspen. Yes, that's right, she does more than just beta my sloppy writing, she catches HP canon things and story plot slip-ups and never gets much credit for it. Though, she is not fixing this actual message… right here… scary. She ALSO put together the wonderful photos for my aesthetic and they are literally what I had imagined when I created this story. If you managed to read this fic all the way through, you'll get that there are far more implications behind my simple, "thanks"... (wink)

So, if you enjoy these type of short stories, there are others like this in the collection. This 'Ministry Advances' story was very PG, but some are rated Mature, and there are definitely more on their way. Thanks for reading, and it doesn't hurt to leave a message to let me know if you liked it. Was that obvious enough?… Go on… just below… that sad little empty box… waiting for your precious thoughts. You can do it, I believe in you, because you spent all that time reading this story… and even up to this very point… so… you might as well.


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